This northeastern species is widely scattered across Ky., but it is frequent only in northeastern counties along the Ohio Rv. Although R. hirta (L.) Sudworth is based on an earlier epithet that Reveal (1991) showed to be entirely valid, the mysterious International Code of Botanical Nomenclature rejected the name for unspecified reasons (Appendix V in http:/ ibot.sav.sk/ icbn/ main.htm).